Leslie Johns is an associate professor of political science and law at UCLA.

Her research focuses on international organizations, political economy, and law.

Her work appears in the American Political Science Review, International Organization, Journal of Conflict Resolution and the Journal of Politics. Her 2015 book–Strengthening International Courts: The Hidden Costs of Legalization–was published by the University of Michigan Press. She received the Michael Wallerstein Award for political economy in 2017.

She is a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations (2012–2017), and a former Visiting Associate Research Fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University (2012–2013).